Knitting-machine.



N0. 6%,!56. Patented Dec. 3|, l90l. 0. LAMWERS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 17, 1900.) (No Model.)

8 Sheets-Sheet I.

WITNESSES; INVVENTOR, 2 M lag/(3mm I u 9; E4

' ATTORNEYS.

Tm: News PETERS co. pumoLm-m" WASHINGTON, u c.

No. 690,!56. Patented Dec. 3|, I90] 0. LAMWERS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 17, 1900.)

a sham -sheet 2.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES 1 8 I E N R 0 T T A m: Noam: PETERS cu. mom-umoq vlunmmdn. a c.

No. 6%,!56. Patented Dec. 3|, l90l.'

0. LANWEBS.

KNITTING MACHINE. (Applicgtion filed Nov. 17, 1900.

-8 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

ATT0R0NEYS Y uonms PETERS '00 l l I I I I- No. 6%,!56. Patented Dec. 3|, 1901.

0. LAMWERS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed No 17, 1900.)

8 Sheets-8heat 4.

(No Model.)

" WlTNESSESI- ATTORNEYS.

TH: mums b'EYEflS co. Puma-Limo WASHINGTON. n. c.

Patented Dec. 3|, mm.

0. LAMWERS.

KNITTING MACHINE. (Application filed iwov. 17, 1900.

8 Sheets-Sheet 5.

IIIIIIFII I I I ll ATTORNEYS;

WITNESSES n: NORRIS Pc'rzns co. mo'ro-Ln-na. msnmcnm o. c

Patented Dec. 3|, 1901. 0. LAMWERS.

KNITTINGAMAGHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 17, 1900.)

8 Sheba-Shoat e.

ATTORNEYS.

m: norms vzrzns cc, wmo-umo, WASH No. EQUJSG.

(No Model.

m N m 0 6 0 d G l n e t a 8 D" E W M A. IL 0 Rm 5 07 9 6 nu N KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 17, 1900.

a sums-sheet 7.

(No Model.)

INVENTOR, MK

\ ATTORNEYS" m: mums Farms :0. Pumuu'mo. WASHINGTON o. c.

rm. amiss. .Patentud Dec. 3|, mm. 0. LAMWEBS.

KNITTING MACHINE.

(Application filed Nov. 17, 1900.) (No Model.) 8 Sheets-Sheet 8.

' UirnD STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OTTO LAMWERS, OF PATER SON, NE\V JERSEY, ASSIGN OR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO L. VOELKNER AND ROSA LAM- EES, OF PAT- ERSON, NElV JERSEY.

KNITTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 690,156, dated December 31, 1901.

Application filed November 17, 1900. Serial No. 36,809. No model.)

To all whom, it incty concern:

Be it known that I, OTTO LAMWERS, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing in Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Knitting-Machines; andI do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in lo the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

r5 Thisinvention relates to knitting-machin es; and it consists in an improved machine of this nature of the kind known in the art as the Lamb machine. The Lamb machine,while it produces circular as well as flat work, is a machine whose needles instead of being disposed in circular are disposed in straight parallel rows. Thus as one of its chief points of advantage over the original or circular style of knitting-machine the machine is capable of producing webs of varying diameters, ac-

cording to the number of needles which the operator brings into play.

Among the objects of this my present invention the most salient, besides those gen 0 eral ones looking toward the production of a machine which will perform its work efficiently and at the same time be as simple as possible in construction and easily operated,

are, first,to provide means for effecting widen- 5 ing or narrowing of the goods with whatever object this is to be done automatically; second, to so arrange the jacks, which consist of that portion of each needle-bed which is immediately adjacent the throat or goods space in the machine, that they may be moved out of the way when necessary with the least inconvenience and without disarranging the work, and, third, to provide means whereby, if desired, an increased quantity of yarn may 5 be fed to the needles, and thus the work be produced more quickly than can be accomplished in the Lamb machine.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which corresponding characters of referonce indicate like parts in each of the several views, Figure 1 is a top plan view of my ma chine with the carriage removed and certain parts broken away. Fig. 2 is an end view of the machine somewhat enlarged. Fig. 2" is a detail view of a certain spring-actuated tappet. Fig. 3 is asectional view of the needlebanks. Fig. 4 is a View of a portion of What is shown in Fig. 2, showing the operating means for certain auxiliary needle-guides. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of said auxiliary needleguides. Fig. 6 is a front'view of a portion of one of said auxiliary needle-guides. Fig. 7 is a plan view of the front portion of the carriage as seen when facing the machine from the front side thereof. Fig. 8 is a plan view of the rear portion of the carriage as seen when facing the machine from the rear side thereof. Fig. 9 is a side view of the thread-guides, portions of the mechanism connected therewith being shown in section. Fig. 10 is a plan view of a portion of one of said threadguides. Fig. 11 is a plan view of a detail connected with one of said thread-guides. Fig. 12 is a sectional view on the line or so in Fig. 1 and looking outwardly, the parts being somewhat enlarged. Fig. 13 illustrates a detail of the mechanism whereby widening or narrowing .is efiected and which I term the transfer mechanism. Fig. 14 is an underneath view of the carriage, illustrating the needle-controlling cams. Fig. 15 is an upper face view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Fig. 14 or, in other words, a view showing the mechanism as it would appear upon the removal of the parts shown in Fig. 8. Fig. 16 is an inside view of the end portion of one of the transfer-needles. Figs. l7, l8, and 19 show the positions of the needles in the principalstepsofthetransferriugoperation. Fig. 20 illustrates conventionally the work done by the machine when feeding a double supply of yarn. Fig. 21 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the operation of widening and narrowing; and Fig. 22 shows the heel portion of astocking, illustrating the kind of turn which is effected in the fabric by my machine.

The frame of the machine consists of two rails a, a cross-piece 1), connecting said rails at one end, and substantially triangular uprights 0 (Z, also connecting said rails near the middle portions thereof. At their other ends said rails are connected by a revoluble shaft 6, carrying a crank f. Upon the uprights are arranged needle-beds consisting of plates g, each having a series of parallel slots h, said plates being arranged in sloping disposition on account of-the triangular shape of the uprights, but being appreciably spaced at their upper or adjoining edges. These needle-beds are stationary. The side of the machine on which the crankfis located will be herein designated as the front side. Under each of the needlebeds just referred to is arranged another needle-bed, which consists of a plate i, also having a series of parallel slots 7', this plate, however, being arranged in a slope more acute than is that of each plate 9. The plates 11 have at their ends parallel pins k, which fit in orifices Z in the uprights, and since they are not quite so wide as the space between the uprights said plates are capable of being shifted laterally. The extent of this shifting is that of the space between any two adjoining slots h. In the slots h are arranged the knitting-needles m, each knitting-needle (see Fig. 3) having its rear end rebent and projecting upwardly out of the slot to form a lug 11., while its other end is formed into a hook 0, with which coacts a pivoted latch p, the needle being constructed identically like that ordinarily used in machines of this nature.

q designates the transfer-needles. Each of these needles, like the needles 172, has the upwardly-projecting lug n at its rear end. ILs upper end is formed with a slightly-curved and tapering finger 1", which finger is provided with a longitudinal opening 8 large enough to receive the hook of the corresponding knitting-needle. At the lower end of the opening and on the under side of the needle an abutment t is formed.

. The lower edge of each plate 9 dis received 4 by a series of closely-fitting U-shaped lifters u, one end of each of which projects into one of the slots in the plate and is slightly turned up, as at o. These lifters are designed as means for raising the needles highv enough so that the cams for actuating the latter can reach them. Each series of needles m and each series of needles q are kept in place in the plate by a strip w, extending across the slots from one end of the plate to the other. To the lifters for the transfer-needles are connected by links 00 transfer-keys y, which are fulerumed upon a rod z, arranged opposite an opening 1, through which said keys extend in each rail a. The connection between each key and lifter by means of the link is such that the shifting of the transfer-needle bed will not be interfered with.

It is desirable that there be considerable space, as already intimated, between the upper edges of the plates 9, so that as wide a throat as possible may be formed at this point, and thus access to the goods be rendered convenient. At the same time it is imin the plates g, which jacks instead of being pivotally sustained at one end, so as to swing down into the throat of the machine, are ar-v ranged to slide -to and from the corresponding plates, in the plane thereof, this being effected by means of a pair of pins 4, carried by each jack and working in channels 5, formed in the corresponding plate. At present the jacks are pivotally supported at one end and are designed to swing down into the throat of the machine. This arrangement is undesirable, chiefly because it is likely to effect the disarrangement of the work when the jacks are returned to their original positions. According to my arrangement of-the jacks they can be moved out of position so as to produce the maximnm width of throat and at the same time being so mounted that they move rectilinearly when they are returned to their closed or raised position. They are so disposed that the loops in the goods extending to the needles mesh or aline accurately with their .slots, it being observed that the downward movement of the jack is sufficient, so that it is for the time being disengaged from the loops.

In order to guide the upper ends of the transfer-needles, I provide a comb 6, which has trunnions 7 at its ends mounted in brackets 8 on the corresponding jack, said comb being adapted to shift with the plate i by means of fingers 9, which extend upwardly from each end of the corresponding plate '5 and engage projections 10 on the comb. Pins 11, carried by each comb, take against the under side of the jack, so as to prevent the comb being turned out of position.

In order to raise and lower the auxiliary needle-guides which the combs and jacks afford, I provide levers 12, which are fulcrumed in the uprights and which at their upper ends are provided with slots 13, in which work the trunnions l t on the ends of said jacks, the other ends of the levers at one end of the machine carrying knobs 15, which are adapted to engage notched spring-actuated pawls 16, also pivoted in the upright. A notch 17, communicating with the slot in each lever, affords a rest for the trunnion, whereby the jack will be supported in its raised position.

The carriage will be now described.

18 designates a pair of bow-shaped or arched plates whose extremities are formed with grooves 19, resting on guides 20 of the rails at. These arched plates are connected by other plates 21 and 22, the former being rigidly secured to them by screws or in any other desired manner and the other being arranged so as to be shifted, the arched plates having pairs of slots 23, receiving screws 24 on the plate 22. The plate is shifted by means of a lever 25, which is fulcrumed on one of the arched plates and is connected with the plate 22 by means of a short bolt 26, extending through a slot 27 in said lever and one of the slots 23. It should be remarked that the plates 21 and 22 are directly over each knitting-needle bed.

The carriage is reciprocated in the usual manner by aconnecting-rod 28, which is pivotally connected to the crankfat one end and is adapted to be likewise connected to a stud 29 on one of the arched plates at its other end.

30 31 designate cam-boxes which are secured on the under sides of the plates 21 22, respectively, and opposite the banks of knittingneedles. 32 and 33 are other cam boxes, which are respectively arranged beneath the cam-boxes 30 and 31, the former of them bein g carried by integral brackets 34, projecting inwardly from the plates 21, and the latter by integral brackets 35, extending from the plate 22. These cam-boxes are opposite the banks of transfer-needles. An inside view of these cam-boxes showing the disposition of their cams, which will be hereinafter described, is presented in Fig. 14. An outside view of the cam-box 30i. 6., as it would appear were the arched plates 18 and the plate 21 removed-4s seen in Fig. 15. The back of each cam-box is hollowed out for almost its entire length, thus leaving elevations 36 at each end, and when the box is secured to its respective plate, as by screws 37, also leaving a space between said plate and the box. The elevations 36 appear best in full lines in Fig. and in dotted lines in several of the other figures. In each cambox 31, near the middle portion thereof, is arranged a series of three slots 38, through which project pins 39, which guide an isosceles triangular cam 40, said pins being also connected to a deflector-41, which thus moves with the cam. Said deflector-projects beyond the cam-box and its extremity is in the form of an obliquelyset flange 42. The hypotenuse side of each cam 40 is adjacent the lower edge of the cam-box, and parallel to the other sides thereof there are formed in the cambox slots 43, in which work projections 44 of other triangular cams 45. Each cam 40 may be adjusted by simply moving the deflector 41 up and down, the parts being held in the position to which they are adjusted by a plate-spring 46, which is secured to the inside of the cam-box and bears against said deflector. The other two cams are adjusted by means of levers 47, each of which has a slotand-pin connection 48 with its respective cam and may be moved by a bolt or other device 49, working in slots of the lever and the box and also of the outer plate 21 (22 50, 51, 52, and 53 are stops which are pivoted on the uprights c d and serve to shift the deflectors, together with the cams 40, up and down as the machine reciprocates when the needle-banks are working alternately. They are shown in operative position in Fig. 2. By shifting them over to the position in which they appear in dotted lines in the same figure they will be inoperative relatively to the deflectors.

7O denotes latches which are pivoted near the upper adjacent ends of the cams on the cam-boxes 30, these latches being controlled by springs 71, which hold their free ends against said ends of the cams. It should be remarked that the several cams 45 are adapted to be adjusted by means of the levers 47 and bolts 49, with the object of producing goods more or less tightly knit; but this portion of the machine is old in the Lamb machine.

' 72 denotes slotted blocks that are secured to the inside of the plates 21 22, being spaced from and parallel with the ends of the cam boxes, and 73 designates levers which are fulcrumed in these blocks and each of which has a slot-and-pin connection 74 with a plate 75, arranged to slide in grooves 76 in said cam-box and the block. On the under side of each plate is a pivoted cam 77, having a pin 78 projecting through a curved slot- 79 of said plate and adapted to be engaged by a plate-spring 80, projecting from the lever 73. When the levers hold the plates in the position in which they appear in Fig. 14, the spring 80 maintains the point of the pivoted cam 77 elevated; but when the plate is lowered into the position shown in dotted lines the pivoted cam is permitted to fall as far as the pin working in the slot 79 will permit it. Over the pivoted cam is a cam 81, rigidly arranged on the plate 75 and whose shape is such that it will deflect downwardly again the needles deflected upwardly by the pivoted cam. Its outer upper corner is beveled off, as at 82. 33 is a latch which is pivoted near the pivoted cam 77 and has a pin 84, which works in a slot in the plate 75. controls the opening between the cams 77 and 81. I

86 and S7 denote springs which respectively actuate the latch 83 and the pivoted cam 77, the former acting to raise the latch and the latter acting to depress the cam.

One of the plates 75 and the mechanism which it carries are arranged on the front of the carriage, at the right-hand end thereof, and on the back of the carriage, at the lefthand end thereof, the other plate and the mechanism it carries are arranged, one such plate and mechanism being also arranged on the back of the carriage at the other end thereof, the parts, of course, being reversed, as seen in Fig. 14.

The cams which have been above described are those which control the knitting-needles. The cams which control the transfer-needles will be now described.

Each cam-box 32 33 extends the full width of the carriage, its upper face being formed with a recess extending almost from end to end of said cam-box, thus producing elevated portions 88, which are secured by the screws 37 against the under sides of plates 89, which ICC Said latch IIO sition.

are directly secured to the brackets 31 and 35. Upon the under surface of each cambox 32 33 and at one of the ends thereof adjacent the plate and the mechanism which it carries is a stationary inverted cam 90, substantially like the cams 40, except that its outer portion is removed, and adjoining this cam is another cam, 91, slightly spaced therefrom and having its upper face parallel with the upper edge of the cam-box. These two cams are duplicated on the cam-box 32, so as to be atv both ends thereof. These duplicate cams are designated by 92 93.

9 1 represents cams which are pivoted on the under sides of the cam-boxes, the pivoted ends approximately contacting with the inner ends of the cams 9]. 93, while their free ends project inwardly and on the under side are rounded off, as at 95. The top edges of these cams are cut to form risers 96, each of which is uniform up to about the middle of the cam, where it takes an abrupt turn inwardly, producing a rest 97 before again continuing uniformly to the pivoted end of the cam. Each cam is normally pressed downwardly by a spring 98, which is arranged on the upper side of the cam-box in the recess thereof and which takes against a pin 99, penetrating a curved slot 100 in the cam-box. In order to lock the cam in its lowermost position, I provide a slide 101, which works in a horizontal slot 102 in the plate 89 and which is adapted to take over the pin 99.

The cams 94, just referred to, are adapted to control the transfer-needles for the ordinary widening and narrowing of the work. Where the operation of forming the heel is to be effected, thecam 91 is duplicated on the cam-box 32, though in reversed dispo- This cam while being normally actuated bya spring 98, the same as the other cams, is held elevated, except when in'use, by a lever 103, which takes against the under side of its pin and is pivoted in the recess of the cam-box and against the under side of which in turn a sliding block 104 is adapted to take.

In Figs. 7 to 10 are shown the thread-guides. The main thread-guide is shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

105 is an oscillatory lever having a slot 106 at one end, through which projects a screw 107, which is mounted in the plate 21, the free or upper end of this lever being bent downwardly and terminating in thread-eyelets 108, which move in alinement'with the upper or acting ends of the knitting-needles when in their normal elevated or thread-receiving positions. On the upper edge of the plate 21 is secured'a guide 109, against the upper edge of which a pin 110 on the lever is held by a spring 111, which presses against a boss 112 on the slotted end of the lever. The guide is slotted longitudinally and horizontally and the lever projects through it, as seen in Fig. 9, its movement being thus rendered true. On a stud 113, projecting from this lever, is pivoted an arm 114, which is in two pivotally-connected parts 115 116, the free part 116 thereof being held downwardly by a plate-spring 117, projecting from the stud. In a lug 118 is pivotally mounted a T-shaped trip 119, whose head 120 takes under the free end of the part 116 of the arm, the free portion of the shank after being extended through the lug 118 being turned down wardly through a transverse slot 121 in the lever. wardly on the head of the trip,engaging either the one or the other of its ends, and thus normally tilting it. It carries a downwardlyprojecting pin 122, which is adapted to be re-' ceived by a slot 123 in the guide.

121 1241 denote two stops projecting from the guide and adapted to limit the movement of the lever 105.

125 denotes a stop in the form of a removable pin.

On each of the uprights c d I arrange a detent 126, which is adapted to engage the shank of the trip, so as to oscillate the latter in its bearing in the lug 118. Whenever the trip is oscillated, that end of its head which was last lowermost is of course now elevated, which thus elevates the part 116 of the arm, so as to withdraw its pin from the slot in the guide and permit the free end of said part 116 to slide down the head of the trip thus set at its other inclined position when the lever is released by the disengagement of the pin with the slot, and as the arm slides down the head of the tripthe continued drag of the lower end of said trip on the detent effects a shifting of the lever, which when it has moved far enough permits the arm to drop back in position with its pin on the other side of the lever and again in the slot. Thus with each vibration of the lever said lever is locked securely in position. The detents 126 are pivoted in the uprights projecting inwardly therefrom,and their free ends are held slightly above the horizontal by springs 127. Since the head of the tripis normally held in either of two inclined positions by the part 116 of the arm 114, the trip approaches each detent from the inside with the lower end of its shank foremost; but when it engages the elevated free end of one of the detents it is shifted and-as the carriage continues to move wipes over the detent. When it returns, its lower end, which is now again foremost, is not again shifted by said detent, but by virtue of the inclining an elastic mounting of the latter passes unactuated over the same,-its shifting not occurring again till the other detent is met with.

The auxiliary thread-guide is shown in Figs. 7, 9, and 10. The main portion of this thread-guide consists of a lever 128, which is also oscillatory, having a longitudinal slot 129, which receives a pin 130, extending from the plate 22. Onthe plate 22 is mounted another plate 131, having a V-shaped slot 182, in which works a stud 133 on the lever. A

The part 116 of the arm presses downwire spring 134, which is coiled about a stud 135 and which at one end bears against the plate 131, is connected to the lever at its other end by a link 136, said spring thus acting to throw the lever outwardly. At its free end this lever carries a head 137, which is pivoted thereto and has thread-eyelets 138, arranged the one above the other. Said head may also have an auxiliary thread-eye 139 between the other two. This thread-guide is adapted to be shifted by detents 140 on the uprights c d, which detents pawls 141, pivoted in a block 142 on the lever, are arranged to strike. The pawls are pressed inwardly against the sides of the lever by springs 143. The detents 140 are pivotally mounted and are normally held elevated by springs 144, though they are capable of yielding laterally in opposite directions. The tension of the springs 144 is such that the detents offer sufficient drag to the thread-guide to shift the same, but not enough so that after the threadguide has reached its extreme of movement it cannot be forced past the detents as the carriage proceeds in its movement. When itis desired to only use the main threadguide, the auxiliary one may be thrown out of operation by breaking off the thread which it feeds, throwing its head into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9, while the whole thread-guide is moved over to the position shownin dotted lines in Fig. 7. In order that the pawls 141 may be thrown out of their usual path, and so prevented from engaging the detents at this time, I provide a cam or spreader 145,which is pivoted between the free ends of the pawls and may be turned by a thumb-screw 146 to spread them.

The main thread-guide leads-in both directions in which the carriage moves. The object, therefore, of the V-shaped slot 132 is to withdraw the feeding end of the auxiliary thread-guide, as when each thread-guide is shifted they pass each other, and so the two threads are not interfered with.

When the thread-guides are working togetherythe free or outerend ofthe main threadguide is always foremost. The position of the other thread-guide is always just the reverse of that of the main thread-guidethat is to say, it assumes a trailing position, its pivoted end being always foremost.

Projecting from the plate 22 is an arm 147, which carriesafiaring blade 148,whose points are adapted to open the latches of i the knitting-needles, and thus insure said needles taking the thread. A similar blade 149 is pivoted on an arm 150, extending from the plate 21, the shank portion 151 of said blade being normally held against a stop 152 on the arm by a spring 153. On the arm is pivoted a lever 154, whose inner end is turned down and engages a cam 155, projecting from the shank 151 of the blade, the free arm of said lever being pressed by a spring 156. On the plate 22 is pivoted another lever, 157, carrying a pin 158 at one end, which bears against the lever 154 and is adapted to shift said lever when the lever 157 is itself shifted by the pin 133, which moves in a slot 159 of said lever. The blade 149 is pivotally mounted and automatically actuated by the mechanism just described, so that it will be thrown out of the way of the head of the auxiliary threadguide when the latter is shifted.

The main thread-guideis adapted to be used alone, at which time the range of movement thereof is between the left-hand pin 124 and the pin 122, which latter being carried by the part 116 of the arm 114 is inserted in the orifice 123. The pin 125 is at this time removed. One of the positions of the parts when the main thread-guide is working alone appears in dotted lines in Fig. 8. When the main thread-guide is operating alone, the detents 126 are turned over out of the way, so as not to engage the trip 119, and in order that said thread-guide may be oscillated a drag 160, which it carries and which frictionally bears against a rod 161, supported in brackets 162 under the carriage, is provided. At this time, therefore, the main thread-guide simply assumes a trailing position-that is to say, its pivoted end is always foremost in whichever direction the carriage moves.

The mechanism for shifting the transferneedle beds t' consists of a train of lovers and connecting-rods disposed under the carriage at the back and front of the machine. Each of these trains of levers comprises parallel levers 163, which are fulcru med between their ends on a bracket 164, which projects inwardly from the rail Ct, a rod 165 connecting these levers, another lever, 166, which is pivoted in the frame and one of whose arms is connected to the needle-bed, while the other is connected to one of the levers 163 by another connectingrod, 167, and tappets 168, 168 ,168, and 168, controlled by springs 169 and capable of being raised into operative position to engage parts to be referred to or fold down out of the way of said parts. Each de tent is mounted in a bifurcated lug 169 in the lever 163, and it has a detent 169 which takes against the lug, so as to prevent the tappet from being turned down into the horizontal except in the one direction. On the carriage and outwardly from each plate 89 thereof projects a bracket 170, which carries a pair of rods 171, arranged in aliuement with the pairs of tappets on the levers 163 and having orifices 172, in which pins 173, adapted to engage said tappets, may be set. The mounting of each tappet is such that it will yield to the engaging pin 173 when the carriage moves in one direction, but not when it moves in the other direction. It is intended that two of the tappets in each group-namel v, the tappet at the outer end of one lever 163 and the tappet at the inner end of the oth r lever 163 should be set so that with each movement of j the carriage in one direction the engagement of said tappets with the pins 173 will effect a shifting and a return shift or reshifting of the again protect.

transfer-needle bed. In order to lock each transfer-needle bed in either position to which it is shifted, I provide a lock-bar 174, which is pivoted at 175 in one of the side rails of the frame and which at one end has a lug 176, adapted to take against either edge of the lever 166 as the same is shifted and which is adapted to be rocked at each shifting'of said lever 166 by first the one and then the other of two rockers 177, which are pivoted on said rail, each rocker having a pin 178, which bears against the lock-bar and being adapted to be actuated by a wing 178 on the outer pin 173.

Operation: The lifters of such of the knit ting-needles as are to be used are first pushed up as far as they go to elevate the needles to the position where their lugs will be alined with the entrances to the camways. Then when the carriage is reciprocated by the crank 28 each series of working knitting-needles will be raised to catch the newly-fed yarn and draw it down through the previously-formed loops on the needles, which loops as the needles rise stand beneath the latches of the needles and as the needles fall again slip off the ends of the needles onto the yarn caught by the needle-hooks, which latter the latches under action of the loops as the needles fall As the carriage reciprocates the action of the cams (only the cams 40 and operate in plain work) on the needles produces in the latter a wave-like effect, the yarn being fed to them slightly back of the crest of the wave. Ordinarily I prefer to employ both thread guides, since thereby the work will proceed faster than with one. To this end the lever 25 is first manipulated, so as to shift the cam-box 31, and thus bring the cams 40 out of opposition to each other, for otherwise they would act to lift opposite knitting-needles in the two banks simultaneously, causing them to interfere with each others work. It will be noticed, therefore, that according to the positions of the parts as illustrated the cams for the two sets of needles are not opposite each other. Thus the one or the other will produce a wave in the needles of one set which is slightly in advance of the wave produced in the needles of the other set, according to the direction which the carriage takes. Now when both threadguides are working the main thread-guide, which at this time is oscillatory from the position in which it appears in Fig. 8 to the right-hand pin 124, is so acted upon by the detents 126 as to always lead, and so it feeds the rows of needles alternately. In this way the machine produces goods knit in the manner diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 20, where two rows of knitting, all that are necessary for the purpose of demonstration, are shown. a 1) denote the rows of loops formed upon a feeding of the thread by the main and auxiliary thread-guides, respectively, in the movement of the carriage in one direction,

and a b denote the rows of loops formed upon the feeding of the respective main and auxiliary thread-guides upon the return movement of the carriage. When the main threadguide aloneis used, as before stated, the sets of needles are fed alternately, one when the carriage moves over and the other when it returns. The stops to 53 are for this set so as to alternately throw the cams 4:0,through their deflectors, out of the way of the needle-- lugs. The head of and also the detents 144 for the auxiliary thread-guide are thrown out of the way, as is also this thread-guide itself. The main thread-guide oscillates under the action of its drag 160 on the rod 161 between the pin 122 of the arm 114, which now simply reciprocates in the orifice 123, and the lefthand pin 124. Both sets of cams are in opposite relation to each other, the lever 25 having been shifted to efiect this.

In order to understand the operations of widening and narrowing the goods as effected automatically in my machine, the manner in which these operations are effected manually in the ordinary Lamb machine should be borne in mind. The diagram, Fig. 21, well illustrates the manually-performed operations. In both narrowing and widening the principle is practically the same. For widening, after having raised a new knitting-needle into operative position the operator slips the loop which surrounds the needle next the new one off said needle onto the portion of yarn which its hook last took and then slips the loop over the hook of the new needle. WVhen the carriage again sweeps across the needle-bed and the needle rises with the rest to catch new thread, it has a loop through which it can draw the new thread to form the additional stitch. For narrowing, the operator simply slips the loop of the end needle, which is to go out of action,off the hook thereof, placing it on the next needle, so that in the next shifting of the carriage this latter needle will draw its portion of the new thread down through its own loop and its neighbors cast-off loop in producing the stitch.

In widening and narrowing by my machine, the main body of the knitting-needles continues to be acted upon by the cams as usual. Only one thread-guide is used, however, said thread-guide acting to feed the two series of knitting needles alternately. Either the widening or narrowing operation may be performed whether tubular 'or fiat work is being produced. Since the two series of knittingneedles (front and ba'cklare alternately active when one thread-guide is used, the consequence of course is that the widening (or narrowing) with respect to either series of knitting-needles only occurs in the shifting of the carriage in one direction, not at the return movement of the carriage. Either widening or narrowing is capable of being performed at both sides of a single row of knitting'that is to say, in one movement of the carriage. Hereinafter in order to avoid confusion only the needles on one side of the machine will be considered the action of those on the other side being identically the same. In widening one knitting-needle is elevated and the transfer-needle corresponding to the previously-elevated needle next adjacent the needle just raised is also elevated by pressing its key, thus bringing these two needles where they will be actuated by their respective cams. This may be done as to the needles immediately adjacent the end of the machine toward which the transfer-needle bed first shifts. As to the needles atthe other end, besides elevating a new knitting-needle the transfer-needle immediately corresponding thereto should be elevated. The dropcamst'. e those carried by the plates 75, and more particularly those which have a relatively diagonal disposition, as seen in Fig. 14should be lowered. The carriage is now shift-ed, it having been previously arranged so that upon its next movement the acting faces of the transfer-cams and the cams 77 will be brought against the respective transfer and knitting needle lugs, and the transfer-needle bed having been manually disposed and the tappets 168 168 so arranged (by elevating the proper pair of relatively diagonally disposed ones) that the first movement of the transfer-needle bed will be toward the carriage-2'. e., in a direction opposite to the initial movement of said carriage. As the carriage shifts the knitting-needle lugs follow the direction of the arrows R in Fig. let, while the transfer-needle lugs follow the arrows S. The regular knitting proceeds as usual with the main body of knitting-needles while they are passing over the cams 40,

the new needles simply catching hold of the new thread without forming loops. As the new knitting-needle lugs descend the incline of the cam 40 the transfer-needle lug is moving up the edge 96 of the transfer-cam, the latter hesitat-ing slightly at the rest 97 until the'point of its corresponding knitting-needle moves out of the way of its own point, whereupon it continues to pass up the cam 94: onto the cam 91, having meantime taken the loop offits knitting-needle. Fig. 18shows the needles as the loop is removed by the transfer-needle, which is rising, from the knitting-needle, which is descending. The first shifting of the transfer-needles by one of the pins 173 striking the elevated tappet on the first lever 163 reached, which may happen at any time after said needles begin to rise and before they leave the cam 91, now occurs.

Meantime the knitting-needles are succes sively rising on the cam 77, the hooks of those opposite which the transfer-needles now are being projected through the openings of the latter and catching the loops, (see Fig. 19,) whereupon both sets of needles are successively deflected downwardly, each knittingneedle by the cam 81 and more abruptly than the transfer-needle and each transfer-needle by the cam 90. As the carriage completes its shifting in the same direction a tappet in diagonal disposition with reference to the one already struck is engaged by another pin 173 on the carriage, so that the transfer-needle bed is shifted in the other direction, this occurring just after the needles, both knitting and trans fer, at the other end of the series come to the point where they, too, are actuated by their cams in depositing the loop onto the transferneedle and preparatory to placing it on the new knitting-needle under the further actuation of the cams. This latter transferring operation is only produced when widening is being effected on both sides of the web, for otherwise, no transfer-needle having been manually elevated at this side of the web, so that the cams can operate it, of course the transferring cannot occur. The new knittingneedle now has a loop for use in forming the additional stitch. When the carriage returns, the knitting proceeds as usual, provided only one side of the machine is operating, and the transfer-needle lugs simply take against the curved edge 95 of the cam 94, which if it is locked down by the slide 101 will by its rounded edge 95 throw the transfer needle or needles out of action. To Widen further, the operator has simply to press up a new knitting-needle and a new transferneedle at one or both sides of the web, as desired, before shifting the carriage. The latches 83 serve to close the way back between the earns 81 and 77, and so preventthe lugs of the k hitting-needles from being deflected out of their proper course upon the return of the carriage.

In narro\ving, one of the two diagonally-disposed drop-cams (or both of them, if the narrowing is to be effected on both sides of the machine) is lowered. Then according as the narrowing is to be effected on one or both edges of the goods, so one or both of the end knitting-needles already in use is elevated and the proper transfer needle or needles raised. The knitting-needle elevated having been already in operative position, this new raising disposes its lug above the top of the adjacent cam 45. As in widening, the dropcams hereinbefore designated as the diagonally-disposed drop-cams should be lowered. However, the transfer-needle bed and its controlling-tappets are now so disposed that when the carriage shifts the first movement of said transfer-needle bed will be away from the carriage. The carriage should start from the side of the machine where it starts in the operation of widening. Now when said carriage shifts the elevated knitting-needle will not be engaged until the latch is reached, whereupon it will lead (or follow, according as it is the first or last in the series) the main body of needles down the descending side of the cam 40. It is abnormally elevated, as just stated, so as to be out of the way of the cam 40, and thus be prevented from proceeding further with the knitting. Only the main body of needles continues the knitting. As it drops down on the cam 40 it is prevented from catching the new ICC thread by its latch, which owing to the abnormal elevation of the needle the leading blade 148 (149) closes instead of opens as usual. Meantime the transfer-needle is rising on the cam 94. From here on the operation is the same as in Widening, except that since the shiftings of the transfer-needle bed are relatively to the movement of the carriage in directions opposite to What they were in widening the shiftings are inward ones, and so the loop taken off the extreme endneedleis deposited on the next adjacent needle inwardly. If a needle, knitting and transfer, had been elevated on both sides of the Web, the operation just described would have been repeated, of course, as to those of them on the other side of the Web. In the back sweep of the carriage, as in widening, the knitting proceeds as usual without any transferring being effected. The empty knitting-needle v and its transfer-needle may be now pushed down out of the way, and if it be desired to proceed further with the narrowing the next end needles may be elevated, as before, before shifting the carriage.

Narrowing for heelwork in a stocking and other similar work-'where a turn is made in the goods is done only on the rear side of the machine. Hence the other side is thrown out of action entirely. Both drop-cams and also both transfer-cams on the rear side are now lowered. The transfer-needle bed and its controlling-tappets are arranged as in ordinary narrowing, and the carriage starts from the same side. In this kind of Work-t. e., where a turn in the goods is to be produced it is necessary that the knitting of the side portions of the half-tubular body now being knit should be stopped abruptly or at right angles to the edges, while the ends of said side portions are interknit with the sides of the continued intermediate portion. It becomes necessary, therefore, that several end needles at both sides of the web should simultaneously stop knitting and that the loops which they carry should be shifted one point inwardly every other time a row is knit in the intermediate portion and successively joined to the ends of said rows. I therefore elevate aboi e the top of the adjacent cam 45, say, six needles at both sides of the web. Then when the carriage sweeps across the machine these six needles will not catch new thread, but will, as a series, have their respective loops transferred inwardly one point, the innermost loop in the series being caught over the adjacent needle of those which are knitting the intermediate portion of the web, so as to be joined by this needle to the end of the first row of knitting which is made after the knitting has ceased to be carried on in the side portions and the loop of the outermost needle, leavingsuch needle bare. At the next shift of the carriage in the same direction five needles are elevated, the loops on them being again transferred one point inwardly, so that the innermost loop is joined to the third row of the cam 91 and down again.

knitting made after the knitting ceased in the side portions, and the outermost needle being bared, and so on. In ordinary narrowing when the carriage returns the knitting is carried on as usual. This is the case also in producing heelwork; but the side needles should be again elevated, so that they will be above the adjacent cam 45, and thus be out of position to knit with themain body of the needles, for the knitting with them has stopped. The series of needles having been elevated above the top of the cam 45, upon the shifting of the carriage the adjacent latch deflects them down the farther side of the cam 40, whereupon they are deflected upwardly by the cam 77' and then downwardly again by the cam 81, while their transferneedles arepassing up the cam 94 and over The transferneedles take the loops olf of these knittingneedles, but instead of casting them off onto others return them thereto,since in this movement of the carriage the tappets simply yield, and thus do not cooperate with the carriage to effect the shifting of the transfer-needle bed and the consequent joining of the ne xt side loop to the row of knitting which is being produced in the body of the goods. Ofcourse after each shifting of the carriage occurs the operator drops the needles which are successively made empty-4 6., the outer ones-together with their transfer-needles.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a knitting-machine, the combination,

.with needles, of guides for the needles arranged substantially parallel with each other, an auxiliaryneedle-guide for each of said guides, said auxiliary guides being movable to and from the respective guides and being operatively connected together, and means for moving said auxiliary guides, substantially as described.

2. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with needles, of guides for the needles arranged substantially parallel with each other, one of said guides being movable transversely of the needles, an auxiliary needleguide for each of said guides, said auxiliary guides being movable to and from said guides and one of them being carried by the other and being also movable with the movable guide, and means for actuating said movable guide, substantially as described.

3. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the needles, of pairs of spaced grooved plates constituting guides for the needles, the space between the plates of one pair being substantially in register with that between those of the other, and a pair of auxiliary guides for each pair of plates having guideways for the'needles alined with the grooves in the corresponding plates and being disposed substantially opposite the space between said plates, one pair of auxiliary guides being movable rectilinearly in the direction IIO of the length of the needles in the corresponding plates and the other pair of auxiliary guides being movable with said first-named guides, substantially as described.

4. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the needles, of pairs of spaced grooved plates constituting guides for the needles, the space between the plates of one pair being substantially in register with that between those of the other, and one of said pairs of plates being movable transversely of the other, and a pair of auxiliary guides for each pair of plates having guideways for the needles alined with the grooves in the corresponding plates and being disposed substantially opposite the space between said plates, one pair of auxiliary guides being movable rectilinearly in the direction of the length of the needles in the corresponding plates and the other pair of guides being carried by said first-named auxiliary guides and being movable therewith and also with its corresponding pair of plates, substantially as described.

5. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the needles, of pairs of spaced grooved plates constituting guides for the needles, the space between the plates of one pair being substantially in register with that between those of the other, and one of said pairs of plates being movable transversely of the needles, a pair of auxiliary guides for each pair of plates having guideways for the needles alined with the grooves in the corresponding plates and being disposed substantially opposite the space between said plates, one pair of auxiliary guides being movable rectilinearly in the direction of the length of the needles in the corresponding plates and the other pair of auxiliary guides being carried by said first-named auxiliary guides and being movable therewith and also with its corresponding pair of plates, and means for effecting the rectilinear movement of said auxiliary guides, substantially as described.

6. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the needles, of pairs of spaced grooved plates constituting guides for the needles, the space between the plates of one pair being substantially in register with that between those of the other, and one of said pairs of plates being movable transversely of the needles of the other pair, a pair of auxiliary guides for each pair of plates having guideways for the needles alined with the grooves in the corresponding plates and being disposed substantially opposite the space between said plates, one pair of auxiliary guides being movable rectilinearly in the direction of the length of the needles in the corresponding plates and the other pair of auxiliary guides beiiig' carried by said first-named guides and lacing movable therewith and also with its corresponding pair of plates, means for slitting the movable pair of plates, and means or actuating said needles, the needles in one pair of plates being coactive with those of the other, substantially as described.

7. In a knitting'machine, the combination, with the knitting-needles, of a pair of sloping plates having their upper-edges adjacent each other and constituting guides for said needles, a jack guided for rectilinear movement in each plate and disposed in the same plane therewith at the upper edge thereof, another pair of sloping plates disposed under said first-named plates and having their upper edges adjacent each other, transfer-needles guided in the last-named pair of plates and adapted to coact with said knittingneedles between said jacks, and auxiliary guides carried by said jacks and receiving said transfer-needles, substantially as described.

8. In a knittingnnachine, the combination, with the knitting-needles, of a pair of sloping plates having their upper edges adjacent each other and constituting guides for said needles, a jack or auxiliary needle guide guided for rectilinear movement in each plate and disposed in alinement therewith'at the upper edge thereof, another pair of sloping plates disposed under said first-named plates and having their upper edges adjacent each other, transfer-needles guided in the last-named pair of plates and adapted to coact with said knitting-needles between said jacks, and auxiliary guides carried by said jacks and receiving said transfer-needles, one pair of plates and their auxiliary guides being movable transversely of the needles in the other pair of plates, substantially as described.

9. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the frame, of a series of substantially parallel knitting-needles, transfer-needles, a support movable transversely of said knittingneedles, said transferneedles being mounted in said support and movable therein into operative contiguity to said knittingneedles, a carriage movable relatively to said needles, needle-actuating devices carried by said carriage, and a mechanism for moving said support, said mechanism being adapted to be engaged by the carriage to be thereby actuated, substantially as described.

10. In a knittingmachine, the oombination, with the frame and with thread-feeding means, of a series of parallel knitting-needles arranged in said frame, means for longitudinally moving said knitting-needles to effect the knitting, a series of parallel transfer-needles, the points of said transfer-needles being movable into the plane of said knitting-needles to receive therefrom and redeposit thereon a portion of the goods held by said knitting-needles, a plate carrying said transfer-needles and movable transversely of said knitting-needles, a carriage carrying said thread-feeding means and also movable transversely of said knittingneedles, means carried by the carriage, for actuating said knitting and transfer needles, and a train of levers operatively connected to said plate, said train of levers being adapted to be engaged by said carriage, substantially as described.

11. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the frame, of knitting-needles arranged in said frame, a shiftable plate carried by said frame, transfer-needles carried by said plate and adapted to cooperate with the knitting-needles, means for actuating the knitting-needles, means for moving said transferneedles in the plate, and means for locking said plate at each of the extremes of movement thereof, substantially as described.

12. In a knitting-machine, the combina tion, with the frame, of knitting-needles arranged in said frame, a shiftable plate carried by said frame, transfer-needles carried by said plate and adapted to cooperate with the knitting-needles, a movable carriage, means, carried by said carriage, for actuating said knitting-needles and for moving the transfer-needles in the plate, means, controlled by said carriage, for shifting said plate, and means, also controlled by said carriage, for locking said plate-shifting means at each of the extremes of movement thereof, substantially as described.

13. In a knitting-machine, the combination, With the frame and With thread-feeding means, of ooactive needles, some of said needles being knitting-needles and another or others of said needles being transfer-needles and movable from the one to the other of adjacent knitting-needles, means for controlling said needles, and levers, operati vely connected to said transfer-needles, for moving the same into operative position relatively to said controlling means, substantially as described.

14. In a knitting-machine, the combination, with the frame, of coactive needles, some of said needles being knitting-needles and others of said needles being transfer-needles, means for moving said needles longitudinally, a support for the transfer-needles movable transversely of the knitting-needles, mechanism controlled by said needle-moving means for shifting said support, and levers fulcru med in said frame and engaging said transfer-needles, substantially as described.

v15. In a knitting machine, the combination, with the frame, of coactive needles, some of said needles being knitting-needles and of said needles being knitting-needles and others of said needles being transfer-needles, a movable cam-carrying carriage adapted to actuate said needles, a movable support for the transfer-needles, a train of levers operatively connected to said support and adapted to be engaged by said' carriage, and a locking-lever adapted to engage said train of levers, said locking-lever being controlled by the carriage, substantially as described.

17. In a knitting-machine, the combination, With the frame, of knitting-needles arranged in said frame in tWo corresponding series, a carriage, said carriage and the series of needles having the one a movement transversely relatively to the other, a set of cams for each series of needles carried by said carriage, means for shifting one set of cams laterally with reference to the other, said cams being adapted to actuate the needles, and thread-feeding members, one of said members being shiftable laterally with reference to the other, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 12th day of November, 1900.

OTTO LAMWERSi Witnesses:

JAMES B. NEWTON, JOHN XV. STE ARD. 

